Author: Eric Glover

I am Eric Glover, the creator of this site and the leader of the Doubtless Living Bible study group at ClearView Baptist Church in Franklin, Tennessee. I am married to Tina Glover and we have two grown children and one wonderful grandson. I have taught Bible study classes to adults of all ages for more than 25 years and teaching God’s Word is one of my greatest passions in life. I am an ordained Southern Baptist minister and I attended Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. I have served churches in many capacities over the years, but I am called by God to teach His Word and that is what I love doing most of all.
Professionally, I serve as the Vice President of Retail Operations for LifeWay Christian Stores, one of the largest Christian retailers in the world with 160 stores across America. I have a Masters of Business Administration degree from the University of Connecticut and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree from Missouri Southern State University. I am also a Certified Public Accountant, although I have not practiced public accounting for many years.

I am Eric Glover, the creator of this site and the leader of the Doubtless Living Bible study group at ClearView Baptist Church in Franklin, Tennessee. I am married to Tina Glover and we have two grown children and one wonderful grandson. I have taught Bible study classes to adults of all ages for more than 25 years and teaching God’s Word is one of my greatest passions in life. I am an ordained Southern Baptist minister and I attended Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. I have served churches in many capacities over the years, but I am called by God to teach His Word and that is what I love doing most of all.
Professionally, I serve as the Vice President of Retail Operations for LifeWay Christian Stores, one of the largest Christian retailers in the world with 160 stores across America. I have a Masters of Business Administration degree from the University of Connecticut and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree from Missouri Southern State University. I am also a Certified Public Accountant, although I have not practiced public accounting for many years.

Different, Not Separate

In Matthew 5:13-16, Jesus teaches His followers that we are to be salt and light in this world. But, how do we as believers do such a thing? Let’s consider the fundamentals of salt and light. For salt to be effective it must come in contact with meat. For light to show contrast it must come in contact with darkness.

So, how does a Christian be salt and light in this world? Paraphrasing the apostle John; “we are to be in the world, but not of the world” (John 17:13-16).

Conflicting Standards

This can and does put us at odds with society on a frequent basis. So how should we respond? If the standards of our society conflict with the standards God has set for us, what are our options?

1. We can ignore God’s standards and blend in.
2. We can withdraw from society.
3. We can reinterpret God’s standards to accommodate society’s standards.
4. Or we can work to transform culture to align it with God’s standards.

As Christians we are called to be separate from society’s standards, but not separate from society. Thus, we cannot just blend in with society or we will be intentionally culpable. We cannot simply withdraw from society because that would be willfully disobedient to the great commission and to Christ’s continual instruction to His followers. We cannot reinterpret God’s standards to make them match the world’s views because that would mock and dishonor God. Thus, if we are to be obedient to our Lord, our only viable option is to work to lovingly transform society through regular and constant interaction with it. Again, to paraphrase John, we must be in the world but not of the world.

It has been said that a ship is safe in the ocean as long as the ocean isn’t in the ship. Something similar can be said about Christians; we can be effective change agents in this world so long as the world isn’t in us.

Living in Holiness

To be authentic in our faith and effective in our work we must continually pursue the holiness God requires of all believers. Christians are called to live by God’s standards, not the world’s. Living in holiness not only pleases God, it makes us more effective in our witness at the same time. Yes, separate from society’s standards, but do not separate from society. The world has never been in greater need of salt and light.

To learn more, follow this link to download the Living in Holiness Bible study in PowerPoint format or follow this link to an interactive YouVersion format of the same study.